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NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday unleashed a scathing attack on the opposition, with a special focus on rivals in poll-bound states of West Bengal and Assam. At the receiving end were the Congress, which is the BJP’s principal challenger in Assam and a key contender for power in Kerala, and the Trinamool Congress, which is the saffron party’s arch political rival in West Bengal. The DMK, which rules poll-bound Tamil Nadu, also found a mention in the Prime Minister’s speech but there were no direct charges against the MK Stalin government.While the sharpest salvos were reserved for the Congress and the Gandhis, Mamata Banerjee and her Trinamool Congress came under attack for allegedly supporting the infiltrators.The Congress was quick to dub the Prime Minister’s address as “another election rally speech” and accused him of speaking lies.”Another election rally speech lasting 97 minutes in the Rajya Sabha today by the Prime Minister. As always, it was overflowing with abuses and assaults, distortions and dramatics, innuendos and insults — and of course his usual quota of blatant and brazen lies,” Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said on X.”His self-obsession and his fixation on dialogue-baazi and demagoguery was on full display,” the Congress leader added.‘Insensitive government in West Bengal’The Prime Minister called the Trinamool Congress in West Bengal “insensitive” and alleged that the ruling party was helping infiltrators. He took a jibe at Mamata Banerjee who herself appeared in the Supreme Court to argue in an ongoing case against the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in her state.West Bengal will vote to elect a new assembly in a month or two and the BJP is going all out to wrest power from the Trinamool Congress.”Our colleagues from the TMC spoke a lot… They should introspect… A merciless government that is creating new records of decline, and they are giving sermons here. Such merciless government is pushing the future of people into darkness,” Modi said referring to the Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal government.”They only care about power… Even the most prosperous countries are pushing out illegal infiltrators. In our country, courts are being pressured to save infiltrators,” he alleged.”How would the youth of the country forgive such people who are putting in efforts to fight the case of infiltrators? They are snatching the rights of our youth, their livelihood… tribal land. It endangers the lives of our sons and daughters… But they only care about power, and they are advising us,” he lamented. Modi said they are “blind” to these problems being faced by the youth.‘Congress, Congress, Congress … and Assam’The bulk of Prime Minister Modi’s speech was focussed on the Congress and the Gandhis including Jawahar Lal Nehru and Indira Gandhi.The Congress was accused of insulting the President and hence the entire tribals and the women community, insulting a Sikh BJP leader Ravneet Singh Bittu and hence the entire Sikh community and finally insulting an Assamese acting Lok Sabha Speaker on chair and hence the entire Assamese people.Talking about disruptions in the Lok Sabha, the Prime Minister said, “Congress insulted the President. It’s shameful…Yesterday in the Lok Sabha, a discussion could not be held on the President’s address. It is an insult to the office of the President. Such people do not have the right to speak about the Constitution”.”You have insulted tribals, women, and the top post of India,” he pointed out.”The incident that took place in the Lok Sabha is very painful. We can understand your frustration, but it was done in the temple of democracy. At that time, there was an MP from Assam in the chair, and papers were thrown at him. Is it not an insult to the northeast? Not an insult to the people of Assam?”He was referring to Dilip Saikia, a BJP MP from Darrang-Udalguri in Assam, and Krishna Prasad Tenneti, a TDP MP from Bapatla, Andhra Pradesh. Both are members of the Panel of Chairpersons in the Lok Sabha.Assam, like Bengal, will vote to elect a new assembly in some months and the Congress is going all out to defeat the BJP which has ruled the state for the last 10 years.With the entire opposition staging a walkout from Rajya Sabha after initially raising slogans against the Centre, the Prime Minister made the speech without any disruptions. The opposition claimed that the leaders of opposition (LoP) in both Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha were not being allowed to speak, prompting them to stage a walkout.”Vipaksha ki awaaz nahi dabegi. Tanashahi nahi chalegi. LoP (Leader of Opposition) ko bolne do. (The opposition’s voice can’t be suppressed. Dictatorship cannot work. Let the LoP speak),” the opposition leaders raised slogans as soon as the Prime Minister started to speak. However, once they walked out there were no further disruptions unlike in Lok Sabha where the Prime Minister did not come to speak yesterday.(With inputs from agencies)About the AuthorTOI News DeskThe TOI News Desk comprises a dedicated and tireless team of journalists who operate around the clock to deliver the most current and comprehensive news and updates to the readers of The Times of India worldwide. With an unwavering commitment to excellence in journalism, our team is at the forefront of gathering, verifying, and presenting breaking news, in-depth analysis, and insightful reports on a wide range of topics. The TOI News Desk is your trusted source for staying informed and connected to the ever-evolving global landscape, ensuring that our readers are equipped with the latest developments that matter most.”Read MoreEnd of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideos’Trump Wanted Unilateral Deal With India’: Former Envoy Unpacks India-US Trade Deal AnnouncementRahul Gandhi Called Ravneet Bittu ‘Traitor’ Because He Is Sikh: PM Modi’s Big Attack’Sit And Protest’: PM Modi Unfazed By Slogans, Takes Dig At Kharge As Opposition Walks Out Of RS’PM Hiding Behind Speaker’: Priyanka Gandhi Slams Om Birla’s Remark On Modi’s Lok Sabha Speech SkipWorld Praises India-US Trade Deal: PM Modi Tells Rajya Sabha Youth Will Gain Global Opportunities’Women MPs Near PM’s Chair’: Speaker Om Birla Reveals Why PM Modi Skipped Lok Sabha Speech’India Open To Explore Commercial Merits Of Venezuela Oil Import’: MEA On Trump’s Russian Oil ClaimIndia Shifts Trade Focus To Gulf Bloc After US And EU Deals, Piyush Goyal Announces Fresh FTA PushRajya Sabha Explodes As Nadda, Mallikarjun Kharge Trade Barbs Over Rahul Gandhi, ‘Gag’ On OppositionArt of the deal: How India turned from Maharaja of tariffs to king of deals123PhotostoriesCraziest things people have stolen from popular tourist locations5 high-performance cars that blend beauty with engineering powerPriyanka Chopra to Katrina Kaif: 5 iconic bridal jewellery pieces that made it to wedding trousseau of Bollywood’s top divas8 quick vegetarian air fryer dishes you can make in under 10 minutesFrom a lavish house in Dubai to net worth: Tejasswi Prakash and Karan Kundrra’s luxurious lifestyle5 countries where tourist travel is extremely restrictedZeenat Aman, Rekha, Waheeda Rehman, Madhubala: Rare, unseen moments of Bollywood’s most iconic leading ladiesAnanya Panday, Sara Ali Khan, Mouni Roy and Raveena Tandon: Celebrities who proudly display their Shiv bhakti sideAbhishek Bachchan birthday special: Must-watch films on OTT including ‘Guru’, ‘Dasvi’, ‘Manmarziyaan’, ‘Ludo’ and ‘Ghoomer’Kangana Ranaut is owning Parliament style again: 5 saree looks that made everyone stop scrolling123Hot PicksBudget 2026Gold Silver PricesParliament Budget SessionGCC Unified Visa 2026Income Tax CalculatorPublic holidays February 2026Bank Holidays februaryTop TrendingNBA Trade NewsNBA Trade UpdateNew Jersey Devils TradeStefon DiggsFramber ValdezWPL Final PreviewHarmanpreet KaurDeontay WilderBrad MarchandChris Paul